Camp Mystic leader may not have seen alert before Texas floods, family says
Share and Follow


The leader of Camp Mystic had been tracking the weather before the deadly Texas floods, but it is now unclear whether he saw an urgent warning from the National Weather Service that had triggered an emergency alert to phones in the area, a spokesman for camp’s operators said Wednesday.

Richard “Dick” Eastland, the owner of Camp Mystic, began taking action after more than 2 inches of rain had fallen in the area along the Guadalupe River, said Jeff Carr, a spokesman for the family and the camp. He said Eastland had a “home weather station” and was monitoring the rain on July 4.

But after initially portraying to the media this week that Eastland got the weather alerts about a flash flood, Carr told the Associated Press that critical moment in the timeline of the tragedy isn’t as clear as the family and staff first thought. No one in the family or camp staff, Carr said, could now say whether Eastland got the alert at 1:14 a.m.

“It was assumed that just because he had a cellphone on and shortly after that alert, he was calling his family on the walkie-talkies saying, ‘Hey, we got two inches in the last hour. We need to get the canoes up. We got things to do,’” Carr said.

The new account by the family comes as Camp Mystic staff has come under scrutiny of their actions, what preventive measures were taken and the camp’s emergency plan leading up to a during the catastrophic flood that has killed at least 132 people.

The flash-flood warning that the National Weather Service issued at 1:14 a.m. on July 4 for Kerr County triggered an emergency alerts to broadcast outlets, weather radios and mobile phones. It warned of “a dangerous and life-threatening situation.” The weather service extended the warning at 3:35 a.m. and escalated it to flash-flood emergency at 4:03 a.m.

Eastland died while trying to rescue girls and was found in his Tahoe that was swept away by the floodwaters, Carr said.

Even without a storm, the cellphone coverage at Camp Mystic is spotty at best, so campers and staff turn on their Wi-Fi, Carr said. He called ridiculous criticism that Eastland waited too long before beginning to evacuate the campers, which he said appears to have begun sometime between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m.

“Communication was a huge deficiency,” Carr said. “This community was hamstrung, nobody could communicate. The first responder, the first rescue personnel that showed up was a game warden.”

According to Carr, Eastland and others started evacuating girls from cabins nearest the overflowing river and moved them to the camp’s two-story recreation hall. Of the 10 cabins closest to the river, the recreation hall is the furthest at 865 feet (264 meters) with the closest cabin about 315 feet (96 meters), according to an Associated Press analysis of aerial imagery.

To reach Senior Hill, which was on higher ground , they would have had to cross an overflowing creek, Carr said. At times the young campers were climbing hills in bare feet, he said.

Some of the camp’s buildings which flooded were in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency considered a 100-year flood plain. But in response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county’s flood map to remove 15 of the camp’s buildings from the hazard area. Carr said there were “legitimate” reasons for filing appeals and suggested that the maps may not always be accurate.

Just before daybreak on the Fourth of July, destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. Crews in helicopters, boats and drones have been searching for victims.

Officials say 97 people in the Kerrville area may still be missing.

Associated Press writer Christopher Keller contributed to this report from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Inside the mad dash for $50 billion in rural health funding 

Rural Health Funding Frenzy: The Race to Secure a Share of $50 Billion Investment

With the introduction of a new $50 billion rural health fund, states…
Pilot of small plane killed in crash at Keystone Heights Airport in Starke, police say

Tragic Plane Crash Claims Pilot’s Life at Keystone Heights Airport in Starke, Authorities Report

A tragic accident unfolded at Keystone Heights Airport in Starke, Florida, on…
Chicago O'Hare flight cancellations today: More than 300 O'Hare flights canceled; airport delays averaging 50 minutes

Chaos at Chicago O’Hare: Over 300 Flights Canceled and Delays Soar to 50 Minutes – What Travelers Need to Know

CHICAGO — Sunday proved to be a challenging day for travelers at…
Shooting at an Oklahoma State University residence hall wounds at least 3 people

Flood in West Virginia Coal Mine Traps Miner Underground

Emergency crews in West Virginia were preparing to deploy an underwater drone…
A car is covered with snow during a cold day in Evanston, Ill., Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Brace for Impact: Intense Snowstorms and Record-Breaking Lows Sweep Across Great Lakes and Southern States

CHICAGO (AP) — A significant portion of the United States braced for…
NM launches free universal child care, becoming 1st state to do so

New Mexico Pioneers Free Universal Child Care, Setting a National Precedent

As millions across the United States grapple with the uncertainties of a…
‘So far, so good’: JAX experiences delayed flights, 1 cancellation amid FAA flight restrictions

Jacksonville Navigates Minimal Disruptions with Delayed Flights and Single Cancellation Due to FAA Restrictions

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that its temporary flight restrictions impacted…
I've endured two near-death experiences... and I'm finally revealing what actually happens in the afterlife

Mother Breaks Silence on Her Astonishing Afterlife Experience

In Virginia, a woman’s extraordinary story of being revived not once, but…